fluster
/fluster/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun:
- A state of agitated confusion, nervousness, or discomposure.
Verb (transitive):
- To cause someone to become nervous, agitated, or confused.
- Verb (intransitive):
- To become nervous, agitated, or confused; to behave in a flustered manner.
Examples
Noun:
- The unexpected question from the audience put the speaker in a fluster.
- She was in a complete fluster trying to get the children ready for school.
Verb (transitive):
- The interviewer's rapid-fire questions flustered the candidate.
- Don't let his criticism fluster you; stay focused on your plan.
Verb (intransitive):
- He tends to fluster easily when he's under pressure.
- She flustered for a moment, searching for the right words.
Advanced Usage
- "to be in/get into a fluster": This is a common collocation to describe entering a state of agitation.
- There's no need to get into a fluster; we have plenty of time.
- "all of a fluster": An idiomatic phrase emphasizing a sudden onset of agitation.
- She was all of a fluster when she realized she had lost her keys.
Variants and Related Words
- Flustered (adjective): Being in a state of nervous confusion.
- He gave a flustered apology after spilling his drink.
- Flustering (adjective): Causing someone to become flustered.
- It was a flustering experience for the new employee.
Synonyms
- Noun: Agitation, discomposure, dither, perturbation, turmoil.
- Verb (to cause fluster): Agitate, disconcert, discompose, perturb, rattle, unsettle.
- Verb (to become flustered): Dither, panic, become agitated.
Related Phrasal Verbs
(The word "fluster" is not commonly used in phrasal verb constructions. Its meaning is typically expressed by the verb alone.)
Related Idioms
- "To throw someone into a fluster": Synonymous with causing someone to become flustered.
- The last-minute change of plans threw the whole team into a fluster.
Noun
- a disposition that is confused or nervous and upset
Verb
- cause to be nervous or upset
- be flustered; behave in a confused manner